


Murphy's Law And The Deal

by Minuete



Series: Advent Calendar Prompts [13]
Category: The X-Files
Genre: Advent calendar prompt, Day 13, F/M, Fluff, Tumblr Prompt, gingerbread cookies, season 5
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-13
Updated: 2018-12-13
Packaged: 2019-09-17 16:30:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16978044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Minuete/pseuds/Minuete
Summary: Set during Season 5.  Mulder helps Scully bake gingerbread cookies.





	Murphy's Law And The Deal

**Author's Note:**

> From Tumblr only-txf-fanart's Philes Xmas Advent Calendar Prompt Day 13: gingerbread cookies
> 
> Subtle nod to my multi-chapter work, The Basket.

Mulder knocked on Scully’s door, excited to present to her a potential X-File case. He heard a large clatter and a creative string of curse words before her door flung open, revealing a flustered Scully with a messy ponytail dressed in an old, oversized Stanford t-shirt and leggings, covered in flour. He gaped at her appearance, mostly in awe at the sight of her. He secretly delighted in seeing an imperfect, disheveled Scully.

“Mulder! You caught me at a bad time.” She cleared her throat, swiped an errant lock away with her left forearm, smearing more flour onto her face accentuating her blue eyes. Disheartened by her situation, she stepped aside for him to enter. “I’m in the process of making gingerbread cookies, but I had a slight mishap.”

He followed her into the kitchen. “Slight mishap” was an understatement. Her kitchen, usually immaculate with everything in its place was in disarray with an overturned mixing bowl, and its contents spilled on the floor. An opened bag of flour was on its side on the countertop, and Mulder could still make out its dusty haze lingering in the kitchen. A rolling pin was hanging precariously on the counter’s edge before it finally decided to fall and roll towards the fridge.

“Murphy’s Law,” she sighed when she turned to face him.

“Would you like some help, Scully?” He offered, setting his file down on the kitchen table then rolling up his sleeves. She huffed in response and grabbed a roll of paper towels situated on the end of the counter to hand to him.

“Please,” she said, “if you help me bake three dozen cookies for tomorrow’s Holiday Bake Sale at church, then I agree to fully listen to you about the file you brought over.”

“You usually listen to cases I present to you anyway, somehow that’s not much of a deal.”

“Fine. I agree to investigate the case, no matter how bogus it seems.”

“Deal.” They shook hands. Mulder promptly wiped the flour he contracted from Scully’s hand onto his jeans. The two quickly cleaned up the mess and started over with Mulder measuring out the ingredients into a mixing bowl as Scully stirred. Scully placed the dough in the fridge and set the timer for one hour.

“Alright, hand over the details, Mulder. I need to see what I got myself into.” She read over the case and quirked an eyebrow at him. “I fail to see how this is an X-File.”

“What do you mean you fail to see an X-File? A group of people sighted a Pukwudgie while they were out hunting, Scully! They described the creature to be around four-to-five feet tall. Pukwudgies hate mankind. They are known to kidnap people, push them off cliffs, attack their victims with short knives and spears, and to use sand to blind their victims. This is the second person who died falling off a cliff who just so happen to be part of that hunting group.”

“Are the remaining survivors from New England? Did they happen to hear about the local folklore concerning Pukwudgies in the area? Mulder, this is another case of local legend wreaking havoc. Their friends unexpectedly ended their lives, and they’re trying to justify the loss. They’re grieving, Mulder, they’re in the blaming phase.”

“Explain to me their Pukwudgie sighting, then.”

“Mistaken identity of another fellow hunter. It could have been a young boy out hunting with his father, or a woman hunting solo. Your files stated that they also were out hunting in the woods near Freetown, a town known to have placed up a Pukwudgie crossing sign.”

Mulder studied her, impressed at her factoidal level of knowledge. “How did you know about the local legend of Pukwudgies?” He could see her blush through the flour powdered on her face.

“I’ve been reading the  _American Indian Myths and Legends_  book you have lying around in the office. It’s a pretty interesting read.”

“Did you skim over the Pomo Indian creation stories?” Scully smirked and was about to say something when the timer signaled an hour passed. She took out the cookie dough and placed it on her floured countertop. She handed Mulder the rolling pin.

“You’re not finished with the task until you take a bite out of a freshly baked cookie.”

“Noted,” he answered and started flattening the dough while Scully rummaged for cookie cutters in one of her drawers. He smiled when she handed him one of the cutters. “Scully! UFO-shaped cookie cutters?”

“Come on, we’re almost done.”

The smell of cloves and cinnamon wafted in the air as Scully pulled the cookies out of the oven. Mulder grabbed one off the baking sheet and bit into the warm, chewy gingerbread cookie.

“This is good,” he managed to say with a mouthful of cookie. Scully looked amused as she transferred the rest onto cooling racks. She daintily grabbed a cookie from a cooling rack before heading towards the kitchen table to reread the case file again, looking thoughtful.

“You know, Mulder. If nothing comes out of this Pukwudgie case, at least I know who to call to bake me some gingerbread cookies. So, when are we heading out to Freetown?”


End file.
